Imprint
by ForeheadGoggles
Summary: A oneshot in which we contemplate the tenth Doctor’s fashion choices. Ducklings, pinstriped suits and a final desperate attempt at coolness.


Imprint

A oneshot in which we contemplate the tenth Doctor's fashion choices. Ducklings, pinstriped suits and a final desperate attempt at coolness.

Disclaimer- I don't own 'Who. I do however own… Um… Wait, what _do_ I own? I don't even have a _life _to call my own. Ouch.

Author's Note- I'm sorry! I haven't written anything in almost 3 weeks! I go from updating weekly to this?!?! I am ashamed. I do have an excuse, but a rather shoddy one. School's been mad, I just finished mid-year exams, blah, blah, blah… Get an interesting story already! Well, if I told you that a strange man in a big blue box showed up in my yard, would you really believe me? Thought you might… That's for another time.

Darn. I have to start the story soon… It's very difficult to do, especially with a fresh Nine tape downstairs… All the episodes up till Dalek. Which I can watch as soon as I'm done here because my little Who-hating sister is at a friend's house…

_Stripes. _

Of all the clothes Jackie Tyler had lying about in her flat, it had to be _stripes. _

_Merry Christmas… Real important Doctor. _

In all fairness, he hadn't really been himself at that point in time… Not enough to remember the _true_ Curse of the Time Lords. Commonly known as the 'duckling' curse. Scientifically known as 'imprint learning'.

He really, really, _really _should have tried harder to remember that.

_And how much could you have told them? Seriously, you couldn't have _dreamed_ you'd be able to stay conscious long enough to tell them about the curse…_

_I could have told them to leave me in my previous regeneration's clothes…_

_They would've thought you were delirious._

_I was._

_Shut up!_

The Doctor gave an almighty twitch, and attempted to curb his monologue. Even in his _head_ he couldn't stop talking… That was going to get him in trouble…

_More trouble than the stripes?_

He sighed, rifling through a pile of socks rather dejectedly. It was a simple rule, really. Like a baby duckling seeing it's mother for the first time, Time Lords had an automatic fondness for the first new clothing worn after a regeneration. Well, not _fondness_ exactly… More like being duty-bound to carry out it's legacy.

But _why, _in the name of Rassilon, did it have to be _stripes_?!?!?

The Doctor had always liked round, swirling shapes with no real beginning or end.

_Like circles. I like circles. I could have worn something with circles. _

Straight lines were rather boring. Predictable. Two things that terrified him, monotony and predictability.

And now he had to find something with both.

Absolutely and utterly _terrifying._

Rounding a corner, a coat caught his eye. Coats were very important. And if…

Yes!

A long, soft, brown coat! Perfect! Big enough to cover most of the stripes. Now to _find_ said stripes…

Here was something… A dark brown suit with black stripes. Not too bad. The stripes blended in with the main fabric, so at least it wasn't burning his eyes out.

The Doctor disappeared for a moment, shedding the blinding stripes and replacing them with their less destructive counterpart. And the coat. The wonderful coat.

"Now for some shoes…" he mumbled to himself, wandering over to the shelves of shoes.

_Wait, was that a circle?_

The Time Lord back-tracked, having a second glance at the shoes in question.

_Wow._

_Those are __**cool.**_

Overjoyed, he plucked the battered Converse from the shelf. The circular logo seemed to glow with a heavenly light.

"Fantastic…" he breathed. Finally, something that could restore his previous coolness!

Freshly shod, he hopped over to the mirror.

"Not too bad… Not ginger, but perfectly acceptable… There was just something… Missing. Sticking his hands into the wonderful coat's pockets he felt an odd shape.

_What the…_

_Glasses!_

Sliding them onto the bridge of his nose, the Doctor beamed.

_Maybe stripes aren't so bad after all…_

Love it? Hate it? Want to admonish me for not updating? You need to press the purple button any way you go… And remember, you just might get a review from me in return!


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